[Article] West rail needs 'convincing case'

Victor

Ah, the election is over, bad news time

http://www.rte.ie/business/2004/0614/rail.html

West rail needs 'convincing case'
June 14, 2004 14:38

Transport Minister Seamus Brennan says he is committed to a policy of rebalancing the west coast with the east coast.

He was speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Expert Working Group, which was established to evaluate the potential of the Western Rail Corridor as part of the rail link that would connect Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork. The corridor would also open up rail services to towns along the now mainly abandoned railway route.

The working group is chaired by Pat McCann, Chief Executive of the Jurys Doyle Hotel Group. It is made up of County Managers, Directors of the Regional Authorities, representatives of the City and County Development Boards, Western Development Commission, the West-on-Track and Intercounty Rail Committee campaign groups, Iarnrod Eireann, Railway Procurement Agency and the Transport Department.

'The phased re-opening of the Western Rail Corridor could only be achieved if the aspirations of those involved are backed up by rigorous assessment of the project and the delivery of a convincing case that would justify the long term investment of taxpayers' money,' the Minister said.

He said that it is time for 'realism, honesty and straight-talking'.

He said the possible re-opening of sections of the western railway line must be rigorously assessed and justified in the context of the whole motorway development. He said that over €1 billion will be spent in the region in the next four years on road projects.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/06/14/story152294.html

Minister's warning on reopening rail corridor
14/06/2004 - 16:33:33

The Western Rail Corridor will only be reopened if it provides value-for-money, Transport Minister Seamus Brennan warned today.

Mr Brennan said the project would be rigorously assessed in a bid to test whether there was a strong case to justify the long-term major investment of taxpayers’ money.

He told the first meeting of an expert working group it would have to examine the costs and benefits of opening a rail link between Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork and towns along the now largely abandoned railway route.

The minister said the working group has been charged with examining and evaluating all aspects of the Western Rail Corridor proposal, including the demand and how the project would be funded.

“This Government is committed to working with the regions to develop infrastructure that fits in particularly well with the aims of the National Spatial Strategy,” he said.

“The Strategic Rail Review did not include the Western Rail Corridor in its list of projects recommended for invest. I declined to accept that finding as final.

“The future of the Western Rail Corridor is very much on my agenda. I believe it warrants a longer and harder look. I am committed to a policy of rebalancing the west coast with the east coast.

“In achieving this, the Western Rail Corridor can play a central strategic role. If the Western Rail Corridor is to be part of the now expanding rail system then the members of this working group must evaluate and prove the case.”

Minister Brennan said it was time for realism, honesty and straight-talking.

“This line will not get built purely on sentiment or emotion,” he said.

“The reality is that if the re-opening of the line is going to happen then all of us have to come at it in a hard-headed, practical way.

“It will be the task of this Working Group to rigorously assess all aspects of the proposal.

“At one level the capital cost of re-opening sections of the corridor is the issue. At another level there is the whole issue of the level of annual subvention that may be required year after year.

“The possible re-opening of sections of the line must also be rigorously assessed and justified in the context of the whole motorway development.”

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/06/14/story152321.html

Brennan wants value for money from Western corridor
14/06/2004 - 19:36:45

The Minister for Transport has said the Western Rail Corridor will only be re-opened if a convincing value-for-money case is put forward.

Seamus Brennan has said the phased re-opening can only be achieved if the aspirations of all involved are backed up by a rigorous assessment of the project and practical commitments.

Minister Brennan has said a convincing case would need to be delivered, to justify the long-term major investment of taxpayers' money.

The link would connect Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork, and open up rail services to smaller towns along the largely abandoned railway route.

P11 Comms

No problem Seamo:

http://www.platform11.org/gal_ennis_lim.html